Elliott Erwitt - New York 1974 - Reading an Image.

In this Exercise, we are ask to look at the Elliott Erwitt photograph shown below and asked to write some answers to the posited questions in the text. 

Elliott Erwitt – New York City 1974 

This image a taken from a series by Erwitt which was printed in the collection DogDogs  (Elliott Erwitt (1998)  London: Phaidon Press.)  at first it is a comical image of a small dog being taken out for a walk, but then we start to look further at the image and analyse the layout and elements of the scene shown and start to interpret what we see, 

How is the image Framed? 

The image is framed within the rule of thirds, drawing the eye to the right and down to the intersection of the bottom and right lines which land on the dogs front leg. This allows us to be drawn up to the right to the dogs face.  It can also be shown that if you were to overlay the Fibonacci golden ratio that the small dog would be standing on the "landing point" of the ratio. 

Having the image framed from a log angle also takes the small dogs perspective into the foremost, after all, what we can see of the owner is a pair of boots and the legs of the companion dog. 

How does the crop matter? 

The crop matters in that we need to get close enough to the dog without too much distraction from the foreground, the background or the other elements within the scene. We are close enough that we can see all the elements but we are tightly focuses on the dog.  If the image had not been framed and cropped correctly then the balance of the image would have fallen squarely on the small dog and that would have created an inherent imbalance, however the dogs gaze  directly into the lens balances against the two sets of legs. 

Position of the Elements. 

The three foremost elements of the image are pushed to the front while the two out of focus elements in the background, the arch (right hand side of the image) and the tree trunk (left hand side of the image) these two elements create an artificial horizon on which the top horizontal line of the rule of thirds rest on. The main elements of the image is the small dog, staring directly out of the image challenging the viewer for attention. 

What is it Saying? 

For me, the image talks about power and position; as the saying attributed to Mark Twain states, "it is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog" Here we are being sized up by the small dog to see if it wants to challenge and dominate me, the viewer. As for position, not only does the small dog think about changing the viewer, it wants to position itself in the hierarchy. 

The owner is in the position of power, the anonymous boots tower over the dog, a tight leash holding it close. The leash means both slavery and dependence, after all the small dog is clothed to protect it from the cold, showing the owner cares about the health of the dog, but the small dog is tied to the owner for food, warmth and companionship. The owner themselves have taken time to wear a long heavy coat and the dark, thick heavy leather boots, which are a sign of both wealth but of dominance. The large dog is also in an anonymous position, we know nothing of this dog, its position in the scene is one of by standing companion, that of older child or husband. 

Structure of the Image? 

Having the small dog as the main element allows the viewer the opportunity to anthropomorphise not only the small dog, but the owner as well.  It is structured almost as a family snapshot of a husband, wife and small child, only from the perspective of the small child. 

References 

Phaidon Press. 2017. Elliott Erwitts DogDogs. [ONLINE] Available at: http://uk.phaidon.com/store/photography/elliott-erwitt-dogdogs-9780714838052/. [Accessed 9 August 2017]. 

Magnum Photos. 2017. Book - Dog Dogs. [ONLINE] Available at: https://pro.magnumphotos.com/Package/2K7O3RZ7T9S. [Accessed 9 August 2017]. 

New York Times. 2011. Captured: A New York Minute, or One in Havana. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/arts/design/elliott-erwitts-photographs-review.html. [Accessed 9 August 2017]. 

Questions to ask myself

Things to consider going forward,

As the image can be considered as an object in itself, how does this affect what the photo is trying to communicate.
In itself what was the aim of the photographer at that particular moment; was it to record time, record a memory, promote something, make the viewer think?

Nigel Shafran - Washing Up.

The main part of this exercise is to examine the "Washing Up" series of images and consider the questions put by the text.

The series of images  have been taken by Nigel Shafran, He deliberately observes and then photographs using objects and subjects that we take for granted, but don’t really stop, examine and observe for example Compost (2008-9). 

In compost he uses colours which are opposite on the colour wheel to startle the viewer, as the colours are more commonly seen in flowers, the viewer then stops and observes and examines what the image contains. 

Washing Up is a series of images of his kitchen, after the washing up has been finished, but the pots and pans have not yet been put away. The images have been supplemented by short explanatory notes, which detail the food in the meal concerned. As a viewer you take the role of voyeur and are look upon the room and get to note what is going on in his home life. In each image in the series we get to see a different arrangement of dishes and cooking utensils under differing lighting conditions as the days pass.   

Along with the colour combinations, Shafran makes great use of composition and framing to give what could be considered mundane, a new and fascinating point of view and an almost zen way of thinking about what is going on around us as we make unconscious changes to our environment. 

The exercise asks us to answer a series of questions about Shafran’s work, which I have done below. 

Did it surprise you that the Washing Up series was taken by a man? Why? 

No, not really. While the task of washing up could be stereotypically assignment as "womens work" the actual task nowadays is either performed by a machine or it is not a gender specific role.  As a child, we all took turns washing up and both my parents undertook the task, so for me it is of no real significance that a man took "Washing Up" 

In your opinion, does gender contribute to the creation of an image? 

It should not. Everyone has ideas that they use photography to explore and examine themselves and their environment; in a lot of cases  the creation of the image is gender neutral. However with the rise of the "selfie" and its effect in self portraiture, there are a greater number of female photographers examining the genre, perhaps mainly due to society and the effect on how people are portrayed within society itself. 

Outside of self portrait, it appears that gender does contribute, especially in advertising where women are mainly portrayed as objects to be viewed and desired. This has had the affect of providing incentive for other groups (LBGT, disabled, minorities) to use photography to express themselves and get a message out into society in general in an attempt to balance the scales and show that they exist.

What does this series achieve by not including people? 

 It allows us to focus on the small changes within the kitchen and creates a world for us the viewer to take our time and examine the colour, composition and framing. It makes us think about our own kitchens and what changes we make within it without thinking. It also makes us think about our other activities and what we do there unconsciously.  

Do you regard them as interesting ‘still life’ compositions? 

 Yes I do, like many still life compositions there is a variance in colour, shape and form that make me want to look around the composition and view it from another angle. 

This has been an interesting exercise as it has started to made me think of a photograph as object in and of itself, and how this changes the way I look at an image. 

References 

http://nigelshafran.com/